Objective: This meta-analysis sought to investigate the association between carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT), flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and periodontitis (PD) and to assess the effect of periodontal treatment on c-IMT and FMD.
Methods: Electronic database searching, hand searching of bibliographic references of included papers, related reviews, and journals in relation to oral, cardiovascular and ultrasound imaging field was carried out. Random effects meta-analyses were performed to investigate the association of co-existence of increased c-IMT, impaired FMD and PD with potential changes in these variables following periodontal intervention.
Results: 2009 citations and 101 full text articles were screened, with 35 meeting the review inclusion criteria of which 22 suitable for quantitative analysis. Meta-analysis demonstrated that the diagnosis of PD was associated with a mean increase in c-IMT of 0.08 mm (95% C.I. = 0.07-0.09) and a mean difference in FMD of 5.1% compared to controls (95% C.I. = 2.08-8.11%). A meta-analysis of the effects of periodontal treatment on FMD showed a mean improvement of 6.64% between test and control (95% C.I. = 2.83-10.44%).
Conclusions: This review demonstrated an association between increased c-IMT, impaired FMD and PD. Data from intervention studies suggested a beneficial effect of periodontal treatment on FMD indicating an improvement in endothelial function. The findings support investigation of periodontitis treatment on cardiovascular outcomes.
Keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Carotid intima-media thickness; Endothelial function; Flow-mediated dilatation; Periodontitis.
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